Newton Waterworks manager: we’re sandbagged and still working

Newton Waterworks manager, L.D. Palmer, says a lot of wrong information has been floating around about the plant. Palmer says they are flooded at the plant, but it is fully operational and everything that needs to be on high ground has been moved. Palmer says they redid a lot of their electrical systems after the floods of 1993.

“We’re still putting out safe clean drinking water,” Palmer says, “we are getting a lot of phone calls that people are hearing rumors that they have to boil water, or that the water is going to be shut down. Those rumors are false.” The South Skunk River is expected to crest on Friday, but Palmer says that shouldn’t change anything.

Palmer says they believe the water will spread out enough as it moves away from Colfax so they’ll get a foot rise, and should be able to handle that. Palmer says they are in a bit of uncharted territory, as everything has surpassed the floods of 1993, but he says right now the water is safe to drink. Palmer says people hearing about the problems in Ames may’ve led to the false rumors about water problems in Newton.